NEW CCTV SHOWS NBC HELICOPTER PLUNGING FROM SKY BEFORE DEADLY LOS ANGELES CRASH

LOS ANGELES — Newly released surveillance footage has captured the final seconds of an NBC4 news helicopter before it plunged toward the ground and erupted in flames, killing three people in Chatsworth, Los Angeles.

The helicopter crashed shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 15, while its crew was covering an earlier deadly collision involving an SUV and a Metro bus.

The new footage, obtained by NBC4 from a nearby camera, shows the aircraft rapidly descending behind a building and trees before debris is seen flying into the air. Moments later, flames and thick black smoke rise from the crash site.

THREE PEOPLE KILLED

The victims were identified as NBC4 photojournalist Eliana Moreno, 38, helicopter pilot George Marciniw, and 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground when the helicopter came down.

Moreno and Marciniw were employees of Angel City Air, the company operating the helicopter.

The aircraft crashed into a parking area between commercial buildings, where several vehicles and storage containers also caught fire.

The helicopter had been providing aerial coverage of a separate collision involving an SUV and a Metro bus earlier that evening. That crash had already left two people dead and several others injured.

FINAL MOMENTS CAPTURED ON CAMERA

The newly released surveillance video provides investigators with another view of what happened in the final moments.

The helicopter can be seen descending rapidly before disappearing behind nearby structures. Seconds later, a large fireball appears at the crash site.

Investigators are also examining footage recorded from inside the helicopter during NBC4’s live coverage.

That recording captured an alarm shortly before the aircraft began losing altitude. The sound of the engine appeared to change, while Moreno can be heard reacting to the developing emergency.

She later asked the pilot, “You can’t pull up?” before the recording ended.

INVESTIGATORS FOCUS ON POSSIBLE MECHANICAL FAILURE

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration assisting.

NTSB investigator Fabian Salazar described the onboard recording as one of the most important pieces of evidence recovered so far.

Investigators are examining sounds from the cockpit that could indicate changes in engine speed or warnings to the pilot.

Former NTSB air-safety investigator Jeff Guzzetti said the new surveillance footage could help investigators determine how quickly the helicopter descended and whether the pilot had enough altitude and airspeed to attempt an emergency autorotation.

Autorotation is an emergency maneuver that allows a helicopter to use airflow through its rotor system to maintain control after a loss of engine power.

Experts have also discussed whether the helicopter may have been operating in a portion of the so-called height-velocity curve where an emergency landing can become particularly difficult. However, investigators have not determined that this was the cause of the crash.

WRECKAGE TAKEN FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION

The wreckage of the Eurocopter AS350 B2 has been recovered and transported to a specialized NTSB facility in Phoenix for further examination.

Investigators are expected to analyze the aircraft’s mechanical systems, engine, flight controls and other components while reviewing video, audio and witness accounts.

The NTSB has also asked anyone who witnessed the crash or captured footage to contact investigators.

A preliminary report is expected in the coming weeks, while a complete investigation could take considerably longer.

For NBC4, however, the investigation is also a deeply personal loss.

Moreno was a familiar presence to Southern California viewers, while Marciniw had spent years flying news crews over the Los Angeles area.

Their deaths have left colleagues and viewers mourning two members of a news team who were covering a story when their own flight suddenly became the center of one.